Sacrifice
by ananova
Summary: VH What if Van and Hitomi had shown their love for eachother before she returned to Earth? What would the result be? What would happen to Hitomi and what would she have to sacrifice?


Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne and make no claim to own it. I am just borrowing the characters. I make no profit from writing this.

Author's Note: I am altering the timeline on Earth a bit. In the show when Hitomi returned to Earth from Gaea in episode 23 it was as if she had never gone to Gaea. I am keeping that, so that when she returned to Gaea with Van is when time began to pass on Earth. Therefore when she returns to Earth at the end of the series, even though she had spent nearly a year on Gaea, only a couple of weeks had passed on Earth. I also made it so that Yukari and Amano don't remember seeing Van or the light, only that Hitomi disappeared that night. Also, I don't think her parents names were ever mentioned so I made them up.

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Hitomi sighed as she walked home from school. It had been another long day in which she had trouble focusing in class. Her teachers were really beginning to get annoyed with her lack of attention. "Another detention for not paying attention" she said to herself. "Mother will be disappointed and father will probably be very angry. Even Yukari is upset at me now because I keep missing the track meetings with these detentions. If this keeps up I'll lose my place on the team. I don't know where my mind has been lately. No, that's not true, I know exactly where it's been." And her thoughts drifted to her adventures in that fantastic world of Gaea, and the young king who had won her heart.

"Van" she murmured, before shaking her head. "Snap out of it Hitomi, you need to move on and begin paying attention to the world around you." She told herself firmly. It had been six weeks since she returned to Earth. Her parents kept demanding that she tell them where she had been. "They would think I was crazy and lock me away if I told them. I can picture it now: 'Oh, the reason I've been having trouble focusing is that I traveled to another world, been part of a war that threatened to destroy that entire world, and fell in love with a King who was descended from the people of Atlantis. Oh and I'm a year older than you think I am because time passed differently.' Yeah, that would go over real well with Father."

Her recent trouble in school due to her constant daydreams of Van and Gaea had been a real disappointment to her parents, especially her father. He seemed convinced that she was on drugs or something. This only caused more problems at home as it had led to several loud arguements between her parents. Hitomi sighed again, she just didn't know what to do. She continued on her way home.

Later that night she sat in her room trying to concentrate on her homework. This time it wasn't her thoughts wandering that was causing her lack of concentration. Rather it was the loud arguement between her parents that she could hear from the other room.

"I don't know what to do with that girl anymore Keiko," her father ranted. "This is the fourth detention this month for not paying attention in class. And she still won't reveal where she was. If she doesn't get her head on straight soon, I am going to have to take drastic measures."

"Kenji, no. Please, I am sure she will tell us where she has been in her own time. We just need to give her some time to sort things out."

"She's had plenty of time. And have you seen the way she looks, always spacing out? I am positive that she is on some kind of drug. I even searched her room while she was gone but couldn't find them. She must have hidden her stash real good."

At that Hitomi's face flushed red in anger and embarrassment. Angry that he had gone through her things, but embarrassed and ashamed for giving him cause to think she would use drugs. As her parents voices faded, her thoughts again wandered to Van, and she wondered if he was alright, if he thought of her. Sighing Hitomi put her books away and prepared for bed. 'At least I can see him in my dreams' she thought as she turned out the light and climbed into bed.

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Hitomi dreamed of Van that night. She dreamed of the final battle on Gaea and its aftermath. She dreamed of Van flying into Dornkirk's fortress to rescue her, and she dreamed of what followed.

_Van appeared in the fortress. "Hitomi" he called for her._

_"Van" she cried in relief. They embraced and were surrounded by a pillar of light. All around Gaea the fighting stopped, and peace began to settle across the land. "Van" she said again in his arms as they flew over Gaea._

_"Hitomi, I thought I almost lost you" he said and began to land. They were in a small grove in a forest. The land looked familiar, then it came to her. They were in Fanelia. "I heard your voice during the battle. I knew I had to find you. I ... I love you" he admitted._

_Hitomi looked up at him, and admitted "I... I love you too Van. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize it. I..." but Van silenced what she was about to say by leaning down and kissing her._

_His lips on hers felt so warm, so right. She wrapped her arms around his neck and felt him tighten his grip on her. She opened her mouth and the kiss deepened. After a few moments they broke apart gasping for air. _

_Hitomi looked into Van's eyes, and began to feel a burning sensation in the pit of her stomach and a throbbing between her legs as she saw the look in his eyes. They kissed again, more heatedly this time, and sunk down to the ground. As their passion grew, their hands wandered over eachother's bodies, and articles of clothing began to fall to ground..._

BZZZZZZZZZZZ

All of a sudden Hitomi woke up, her alarm going off next to her bed and waking her from her vivid and arousing dream-memory. "Oh no" she cried, "I'm going to be late for school."

She hurriedly got dressed and gathered her books for school. As she was slipping everything she needed into her bag, she became nauseous and had to hurry to the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet in time. As she was rinsing her mouth out she thought about what could have caused it. "It was probably just something I ate combined with all the tension around here lately. Nothing to worry about." She decided and hurriedly grabbed her things before heading off to school.

She managed to make it to school on time and surprisingly was able to concentrate on class for the first time in a while. She made it through the morning but was starving by the time lunchtime came around as she had missed breakfast in her hurry to get to class on time. She walked to the cafeteria with Yukari, who was speaking to her again, confident that she was getting her life back together. 'Things are going well today' she thought. 'I got to class on time and was focused, didn't get into any trouble with the teachers, and now Yukari is speaking to me again. Today is a good day.'

That's when she opened her lunch and prepared to take a bite of her sandwich. Her nausea from that morning came back in force and she bolted for the nearest bathroom. Yukari hurriedly followed her best friend to the bathroom.

"Hitomi, Hitomi, are you alright" she called through the bathroom stall door. Hearing the toilet flush, she stepped back and watched Hitomi make her way to the sink to rinse her mouth out.

"I'm alright Yukari. I think it was the sushi from dinner last night. I feel better now." Hitomi told her friend. "Let's head back before we miss the rest of lunch."

Yukari looked doubtful but followed her friend back to the cafeteria. Feeling better, Hitomi hungrily ate her lunch as she talked about track with her friend. Once or twice her thoughts strayed to Van and what he was doing but for the most part she managed to keep her attention on her friend. They went back to class and Hitomi put the whole matter out of her mind and focused on class.

Since she was able to pay attention the whole day, she managed to avoid detention and went to the track for practice. She did surprisingly well that day, making Yukari happy and headed home. With no detention or note from her teachers, her parents were in a better mood that night as well. Her father made a comment about her "Finally getting her head on straight."

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BZZZZZ

Her alarm clock again woke her from a vivid dream about Van. As she got out of bed she again had to rush to the bathroom to avoid a mess. "Again?" she said to herself. "I must be coming down with the flu or something. I didn't even eat the sushi last night." She put it out of her mind and went through her day again avoiding trouble at school, though she did get sick at lunch again, which made Yukari look at her oddly for a few moments.

The next day it was the same with the nausea upon waking and whenever she first saw food. The sight of food wood make her nauseous, but as soon as it passed she was starving as if she hadn't eaten all day. This time once school and track were over Yukari dragged Hitomi to her house.

"Alright Hitomi, fess up. What's been going on with you lately?"

"What you mean Yukari?" Hitomi asked her friend bewilderedly. She had been paying attention lately and couldn't think of what her friend was talking about.

"I mean that you disappeared for weeks, when you come back you won't say where you were, you've been distracted all the time and having trouble in school. Now you've been getting sick at lunch time-"

Hitomi interrupted here "It's just the flu Yukari."

Yukari continued as if she hadn't said anything "and probably in the morning as well as at the sight of food. Am I right?" Then without giving Hitomi a chance to confirm or deny it she continued "You've also been very hungry lately, when you aren't sick that is, and your breasts are probably sore as well. I've seen you're look of discomfort in the changing room." Here Hitomi looked at her chest, it had been a little tender lately. "All of those are not symptoms of the flu. Hitomi, answer me truthfully: Are you pregnant?"

Hitomi looked at Yukari in shock, an automatic denial on lips. "Yukari what would make you think that? I'm not pregnant, I couldn't be.." Hitomi trailed off as a vision of her recent dreams/memories flitted through her mind.

Yukari looked at Hitomi sympathetically. "Are you sure Hitomi, that there isn't even a chance you are pregnant? You are acting a lot like my cousin when she first got pregnant."

Hitomi looked worriedly at Yukari. "There, there is a chance I could be pregnant" she admitted. "But I can't be. My father will kill me. Yukari, what am I going to do?" She cried.

"First you are going to take this and go into the bathroom. We need to find out if you are pregnant or not." Hitomi looked at the object that was handed to her and her eyes widened.

"Yukari, why do you have a pregnancy test?" She asked in shock.

"It was left over from my cousin. She was so excited, she bought about twenty of them to confirm it."

Hitomi dazedly got up and went into the bathroom. She took the test out of the package and followed its instructions, then sat down to wait. Fifteen minutes later, she walked out of the bathroom and collapsed on the bed in shock, test results in hand.

"Well," Yukari asked. Hitomi handed the results over. It was positive.

"What am I going to do Yukari?" Hitomi asked her friend, tears in her eyes.

"As I see it you have several options." Yukari braced herself. "You could get rid of it."

"You mean have an abortion?! Kill it!! I couldn't do that" Hitomi replied vehemontly.

"I didn't think you would Hitomi, I'm just listing options."

"Well that isn't one."

"Okay. Your other option is you could have it and then give the baby up for adoption. Or you could keep it. But you have to think things through. How will your parents react? What about the baby's father? Is he in the picture?" A thought occurred to Yukari. Hesitantly she asked, "It's not Amano's is it? I mean, I know you had a crush on him and all..."

Hitomi cut her friend off. "No it's not Amano, I wouldn't do that to you. I know how you feel about him. But the father, he's not really in the picture anymore. He's too far away." Hitomi put her harms on her stomach and thought of Van. "I, I think I want this baby. It's a part of him, something to prove that it was real, that it wasn't a dream. But my parents, they'll be so angry. Especially Father. He already thinks the worst of me. He's going to demand that I tell him who the father is and if I do he'll think I'm crazy and won't believe me. I don't know what I'm going to do." She broke down crying.

Yukari hugged her friend close and comforted her. Once Hitomi had calmed down she gently asked "Hitomi, I think you need to talk about it. Where were you, what happened and who is the father?"

Hitomi looked her friend in the eye, took a deep breath and began to tell her about her adventures. She told everything that had happened, the good, the bad, and the embarrassing. Yukari had a hard time believing some of it but looking into Hitomi's tear streaked face she knew her friend was telling the truth.

"I believe you Hitomi. I can see it in your eyes that you are telling the truth. It all sounds so fantastic though. But what are you going to do? If the baby is like Van and inherited his wings, then you'll have all sorts of people after him. You'll have scientists and religious fanatics and who knows who else wanting to study him. Oh don't cry Hitomi I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

Hitomi had began to cry again. It hadn't even occurred to her what would happen if the baby inherited the Draconian legacy like Van did. "That means I won't even be able to get proper medical help Yukari. I can't run the risk that they'll be able to tell something is different about him or her."

Yukari calmed her friend down and told her "Well you won't be showing for a while yet so you should be able to hide it for now. But I don't know for how long."

"You're right Yukari. Mom's sure to notice something is wrong and figure it out. I mean, she's gone through pregnancy twice and will recognize the signs. You did and you've never been pregnant yourself. I'll have to tell them and soon."

After Hitomi calmed down and washed her face, she thanked Yukari for being there for her before heading home. She went straight to her room and sat there. She tried to complete her homework and when her mother called her for dinner replied that she wasn't feeling well and was going to bed early. Hitomi lay awake in bed long into the night worrying about what she was going to do. When she did finally fall asleep, her sleep was fitfull and full of worrying dreams.

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The next day Hitomi had trouble concentrating again. This time it wasn't Gaea or Van that occupied her thoughts, it was the child growing within her. When she got home her parents called her into her father's study.

"Sit down Hitomi" her father coldly ordered. She sat. "I received a call from the school today. I thought you had put this foolishness behind you. Now I hear you are acting even worse. I want answers and I want them now. What is going through your head lately? You're on drugs, aren't you? Answer me!"

Hitomi folded her hands in her lap. She began to speak, knowing that she had to confess her condition to her parents but too scared of what will happen to meet their eyes. "Mother, Father, I...I am sorry my actions have shamed you. I am not on drugs, I wouldn't do that Father, please believe me."

"We don't know what to believe anymore Hitomi. You disappeared for weeks and when you returned refused to say where or with who you had been. Your school work has suffered and I heard that you are about to lose your place on the track team. If it is not drugs then tell me what is going on with you?" Her mother asked her this time.

Hitomi clenched her hands tightly in her lap. Knowing she couldn't tell them about Gaea, she began to tell an edited version of the truth. "I know I haven't told you where I was. I... I met a boy. He was in trouble and I tried to help him. We ended up far from here and it took me awhile to get back. But while I was with him, we... we fell in love." Hitomi took a deep breath. "He is where my thoughts have been lately. He is gone now, far away. But not all of him. I...I am sorry to have shamed you further Father, Mother, but I am pr...pregnant." She dared not look at her parents' faces.

She heard startled gasps and a loud BANG as her father slammed his fist into the desk. "Look at me." She looked at her father. His face was red and contorted with rage. "What is this boy's name and where is he? Answer me." She slowly shook her head as tears rolled down her eyes. "You refuse to answer. You are probably lying about the boy. You probably don't even know who the father is, WHORE!!" He screamed at her. "You have one chance to reclaim your honor and place in this family. Tell me his name or get rid of it."

Hitomi looked at her father in shock at what he was demanding. "Father no, please-" She was cut off by his hand reaching across the desk to slap her. She looked back down.

"You refuse to do as I say then I have no choice. I will not have a whore for a daughter. I am leaving for an hour to clear my head. When I get back you will be gone. Do not return. You have no home here no family." He got up to leave as Hitomi sat wide eyed in shock.

Her mother tried to reason with him. "Kenji please. Have mercy, she is our daughter."

"No she is no daughter of mine. My decree stands." He left. Hitomi cried as her mother came over to her and hugged her.

"Come Hitomi. It would not do to disobey him in this. Let us gather what we can." They went to her room and packed what little she had that would be useful into her bag, the same bag that had traveled with on her adventures with Van. She felt the tears coming again but pushed them away as she packed her clothes into her duffel. Her mother left and returned with a bundle.

"It is not much but you will need it more than I will." Hitomi looked and saw money and food items. She opened her mouth but her mother silenced her. "I will work on your father but you know how stubborn he is. Take it, you will need it, especially with a little one on the way. I don't know the full story and I may never know it, but I hope you don't come to regret your decision here." They finished packing the meagre possessions that Hitomi would take and then her mother hugged her.

"Know that I will always love you my daughter." She said before walking away with tears in her eyes. Hitomi stood there watching her with a feeling like she would never see her again, never come home again. Finally, she walked out the door with tears in her eyes and headed towards Yukari's trying to think about what she could do.

Yukari let her in and quickly ushered her to her room after seeing the look on her face. Once inside Hitomi broke down and told her friend all that had happened. Her friend tried to comfort her again but had sad news of her own. "Your father already called my parents and told them that you had dishonored your family and were disowned. He probably knew this was the first place you would go. My parents agreed to let you stay the night if you showed up but said that after that you were on your own. You know how they feel about how important honor and family names are. I'll help however I can but I'm afraid it won't be much. You know you won't be able to go back to school now, right?" Hitomi nodded numbly, and the girls settled in.

The next morning Yukari woke her friend up. Hitomi immediately noticed that although her friend was dressed she was not in the school uniform. She looked at her questioningly.

Yukari smiled sadly at her. "I'm skipping today. We need to find you a place to live and a job." Hitomi nodded sadly. "Here," Yukari said thrusting something at her.

Hitomi took it and looked at it. It was a bundle of money. "Yukari, I can't take this" she tried to protest.

"Hush, you are my friend and you need it more than I do. I told you, I'll help you anyway I can." Hitomi took it but felt conflicting emotions. She was grateful to her friend but didn't want to take charity. "If it helps think of it as for the baby instead of for you." That did help a bit.

The girls spent the day going through the newspaper and looking through places for rent. It was difficult to find a place Hitomi would be able to afford and even more difficult to find one that would rent to a teenager with no family name. The place they finally found was a real dump but it was all Hitomi could afford. They looked sadly at the small one room for rent. It was rundown, filthy and cramped. The building owners were nice at least, an elderly couple who had looked sadly at Hitomi upon learning her situation were too old to take care of the house by themselves and had no family left nearby to help them. They agreed to rent the room to Hitomi, and cut the rent price if she agreed to help them try to take of the building. Even still Hitomi would need to find a job to make money.

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Hitomi had even more difficulty finding a job than she had a place to stay. Nobody wanted to hire a teenager who hadn't finished school, especially a pregnant one with no family name. The only jobs she could find were temporary ones that didn't pay very well. Still money was money and she refused to lower herself to crime or certain acts that had been hinted at by several of her bosses, dirty old men. When she refused their advances, she inevitably found herself looking for a new job.

The weeks passed and Yukari and she drifted further apart. Yukari still tried to keep in contact and help out but between school and track, and her parents pressuring her she had difficulty finding time to drop in. Likewise Hitomi was often too tired from the pregnancy and whatever job she had been working at. It was a difficult life but thinking about the child growing within her, Hitomi knew she had made the right choice. It may be hard but she was managing.

One day when Hitomi was about six months along things began to change for the worse. Hitomi was not quite happy but liked it at the Osaka's, the name of the elderly couple who rented her the room. However one day she came back to the building to find out that Mrs. Osaka had become very ill and was rushed to the hospital. Mr. Osaka spent the whole time at the hospital worrying over his wife. Hitomi was worried as well but had no way to get there so she spent the time trying to clean the house. The situation stayed like that for two weeks. Then one day Mr. Osaka came home.

Hitomi looked at him. He looked tired and worn, his face had dried tears on them. But more than that he looked broken. "Mr. Osaka?" Hitomi asked hesitantly.

He looked over at her. "She's gone child. She passed away in her sleep last night." Hitomi gasped and raised her hand to her mouth as tears began to fall from her eyes. Mr Osaka drew her into a hug. "She cared for you as well dear. We both did. It was nice to have a youngster around this old house again. We appreciated all the hard work you did trying to help us fix this place up again."

He sighed. "I'm sorry to have to cause you more grief, and add to the list of adults who have disappointed you in your short life child. But with my dear Kasumi gone, I can't stay here anymore. Too many memories. I'll be moving in with my last remaining relatives. That means I'll be selling the house. I'm sorry to be doing this to you. You really meant a lot to Kasumi and I these last few months." He sighed again.

Hitomi nodded and left the broken old man to his grief and memories. She went to her little room to grieve alone and try to figure out what she was going to do now. Winter was approaching and it had been hard enough trying to find a place to live before she looked pregnant. She put her hand on her extended belly and thought of Van and the child growing within her. "I don't know how but we'll pull through this somehow." She promised.

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Time seemed to drag for Hitomi. She had been unable to find another place to live. That made it difficult to find more work. Nobody wanted to hire a heavily pregnant girl without an education, home or family name. Hitomi had began sleeping in the parks and washing in sink in the public bathrooms. When it began to get too cold she would stay in the shelters available around the city. Though that was dangerous as well. She had been robbed several times and one time nearly attacked, though she was lucky that several others had passed by and scared her attacker away.

Hitomi was scared. Hitomi was now almost eight months along. She knew she couldn't keep going like this. She had developed a cough and knew she was getting sick. But above all she was worried about her child. Was he or she alright? Healthy? How would she care for the baby once it was born if she couldn't even take care of herself? The people who ran the shelters had offered to bring her to a clinic for medical treatment but she was too scared that they would discover something about her baby. She also hadn't heard from Yukari in over a month.

Hitomi dejectedly walked into the park and sat down heavily on a bench and placed her duffel on the bench beside her. The sun had set and the moon was rising. "Another rejection" she murmured to herself. She looked toward the sky. "Van" she whispered. "I wonder what you're doing now. Do you ever think of me?" She went into a harsh coughing fit. When it finished she was wheezing and having trouble breathing. "I feel like wheeze I'm dying. Cough I am. I knew this was bad wheeze . Probably caught pnemonia from cough sleeping in the park in the cold. I just cough, wheeze cough hope my baby's alright."

She looked towards where she thought Gaea was as she began to feel weak. She raised a shaky hand to her forehead. "I'm burning up. I cough really am dying wheeze No, I want my baby to live, I want to see Van again. Cough Please, send me back, back to Van. Van, I need you!" she cried, coughing harshly again.

In answer to her prayers and pleading a beam of light surrounded her. She felt herself lifting into the air. "Van" she said her hands going to her stomach before she passed out.

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In Fanelia on Gaea, the object of Hitomi's thoughts was hard at work. Fanelia was still far from what it had been prior to the war but it was being rebuilt quickly. Homes and shops had been rebuilt and the castle was nearly fully rebuilt. The people were returning to their lives and Fanelia would be back to the way it was soon enough, though none would ever forget. Much of the progress was do to the King, Van Fanel emersing himself in the work. The people seeing their King working so hard to rebuild their homes worked that much harder themselves. The result was the city being rebuilt faster than even the most optimistic had believed possible.

The people believed this was due to the King wanting to see his people thrive and the kingdom back to the way it was as soon as possible. While that was part of the reason, it wasn't the whole reason. Few knew that Van went about the work so enthusiastically because his heart was aching. Those that did know thought that he was trying to forget but they were wrong. Van never wanted to forget Hitomi. Rather he threw himself into the work in order to avoid the pain that their separation caused him. He still thought of her but he used the work to distance the pain from himself.

Lately, however, that hadn't been working. He'd been getting the feeling that something was wrong with Hitomi for a while now but didn't know what he could do about it. So he buried himself even further in rebuilding his kingdom.

_"Van" _he heard as the wind blew by.

His head snapped up and he knew that something was very wrong with Hitomi. The pendant he wore began to faintly glow against his chest. "Hitomi" he murmured.

"Wow" "Look at that" "What is it" Voices and exclamations intruded on him. "Lord Van" he heard Merle cry. He looked up and saw the pillar of light she was pointing to. "HITOMI" he cried and let his wings burst from his back. He flew towards the light but it faded away, then he flew towards where it had been as fast as he could keeping his eyes open and searching for a glimpse of the girl he loved. All he knew was that Hitomi was in trouble and needed him, NOW.

Finally, his eyes caught a glimpse of her on the ground. He landed and called "Hitomi!" She was laying on her side facing away from him, her duffel bag at her side. He hurried to her side and turned her over. He took in her sweat stained face before moving to check her for injuries. He ran his hand over head and realized she was burning up. "Hitomi" he called trying to wake her.

She began to stir. Her beautiful green eyes slowly opened and focused on him. "Van" she whispered "you heard me." Suddenly she coughed, a harsh sounding cough that racked her entire body. Van felt an icy terror go through him, the last time he had heard someone cough like that they had been on their deathbed.

"I'll always hear you Hitomi." he said. "Don't try to speak, I'm going to get you to a doctor. Don't worry you'll be alright" he told her trying to convince himself as much as her.

"No I won't. I'm dying. We both know it. I'm just glad I got to see you first. Cough, Wheeze, Wheeze Cough " The coughs racked her body again. Then her face was filled with pain. "Van, the baby, you've got to save the baby. Cough I'm dying, don't let the baby die with me."

Only then did he notice her extended stomach. "What..." he began when she interrupted him and gave him short details. "It's yours, ours. From that night we spent together. Father disowned me when he found out because cough I wouldn't cough get rid of it. Cough cough But I couldn't kill our baby. I tried to work, to get by but nobody wanted to hire an unwed pregnant teenager cough with no family name. I was afraid cough to go to a doctor cough cough what if they saw something different about the baby during tests cough I just pray that the baby is safe and healthy cough please Van, save our child." Throughout her explanation Van's heart clenched at what she had gone through because he wasn't there to help her. He felt anger at her father's actions. "Van cough I think the baby's coming soon cough "

"Don't worry Hitomi, I won't let anything happen to the baby." He promised her as he gently picked her up and flew into the air. He headed back to Fanelia as fast as he dared, knowing he had to get her to a doctor quickly but worried about causing her more pain. Finally he saw the castle and headed to it. He quickly landed and called for someone to fetch a doctor. He headed to his bedroom and placed her on the bed.

"Lord Van" Merle called as she came running into the room. "Is it Hitomi? Is she.." her voice trailed off as she caught sight of the figure on the bed as she went into another coughing fit followed by an agonized cry as she clutched her stomach. "Hitomi!" she cried and ran to her friend. Van was at Hitomi's side in an instant holding her hand Just then the doctor arrived and quickly took in the sight of his patient. He began issuing orders to the maids and others workers nearby. "Bring hot water and cloths right away."

He turned to Van "Majesty perhaps you should... remain where you and talk to the young lady" he hastily changed what he was going to say upon seeing his King's expression and the way he gripped the girl's hand. He turned to Hitomi and asked"Young lady do you think you can answer a few questions?" At her nod he continued "How far along are you and how long have you been sick?"

"Eight months, and cough I first began feeling ill a couple weeks ago cough just a few coughs and sneezes then in the last few days cough it got a lot worse cough "

"Thank you young lady"

"Her name is Hitomi" Van interjected.

"Hitomi" the doctor continued. He moved his stethoscope to her and began to take in her vitals. He examined her pupils and listened to the way her chest sounded when she coughed. Last he examined the bulge in her stomach and tried to determine how the child was. As he placed his hand upon her stomach, he felt the tightening caused by a contraction. Finally he sighed and called a maid over. "Go fetch the midwife, I'll need her help."

Van looked at the doctor and saw the sadness in his face. "Doctor?"

The doctor sadly turned to his King. He could tell by the way the young King clutched the girl's hand and kept looking worriedly at her face that that was likely Fanelia's new prince or princess within the womb. "She has an advanced case of severe pnemonia. It's caused her to go into premature labor. In her weakened condition I don't know if she'll survive the birth. The baby feels healthy but it is difficult to tell and the fetus isn't full grown yet so that is a concern as well." The doctor watched as the King's face grew paler with each word. "We'll do all we can but it is a risk to both mother and child."

Van asked "And if we were to stop the labor?"

"The baby would die but Hitomi's chances of survival would increase significantly, though she would still be at risk."

"No cough I will not kill this baby. Van cough you promised you'd protect the cough baby." Hitomi said looking towards the young King.

Van's face twisted at the choice before him."I know Hitomi and I will. I just needed to know the options."

"Killing cough this child cough is not an option cough cough " she stated forcefully.

"In that case" the doctor began as the midwife arrived "let's see what we can do. Drink this Hitomi" he said holding a glass of a yellowish liquid to her lips. Within a few moments the pressure in her chest eased a bit and the coughing subsided some. The midwife set about preparing for the birth while the doctor kept a close watch on Hitomi's vitals. Van refused to relinquish his grip on Hitomi's hand while Merle watched from the doorway she had been ushered outside of earlier.

A few hours that seemed an eternity later, the midwife and doctor were telling Hitomi to keep pushing, that the baby was almost out. Van was also trying to be encouraging to her, though he was as scared as she was. Her cough had returned harsher than before and the doctor's face had paled and become sadder somehow.

"That's it, you're doing great Hitomi" came the midwife's calm voice. "I can see the head. You're almost done just keep pushing."

Hitomi groaned as she pushed again. She felt really tired and weak. "Cough, cough. Van, I want to cough name the baby after you cough Van if it's cough a boy, Vanessa cough if it's a girl cough, cough "

"It's alright Hitomi. Save your breath. We can discuss this after the baby's born and you feel better." Van said worriedly, trying to keep her calm and inwardly praying that she'll be around to discuss it.

Their discussion was broken by a cry and Van looked to the end of the bed to see the midwife cleaning and wrapping a small, crying figure in a blanket. The midwife finished her ministrations of the baby, then walked towards Van. "Here you are, my lord. A healthy baby girl" and she handed the child to Van. Then headed back to the end of the bed where the doctor was waiting for her and having a whispered conversation with him, as she glanced sadly at Hitomi.

Van didn't notice any of that as he gazed at the small wrinkled form his arms. Red faced and crying, she had a head full of dark hair. And Van would swear that she had inherited her mother's beautiful green eyes.Van unknowingly followed the tradition of all father's upon being handed their child, and counted body parts: ten fingers, ten toes, two eyes, a nose, etc... A harsh cough from Hitomi drew his attention back to the present.

"Hitomi, she's beautiful and healthy" he said moving to show Hitomi the baby.

"She? cough It's a girl cough " Hitomi opened her eyes and looked at the baby with a slowly darkening vision. "Vanessa cough " she said weakly reaching a hand out to the baby. "Van cough promise me cough you'll take care of cough her." she looked pleadingly towards him.

"Hitomi I promise. But you'll be there too. Hitomi, Hitomi!" Van called as she slumped in the bed having heard what she needed to hear. The doctor and midwife quickly checked over her before the doctor sadly shook his head. The baby, 'Vanessa' his mind supplied, began to cry harder, knowing that something was wrong but unable to understand.

"I'm sorry my lord, there was nothing we could do. She was too weak from the pnemonia."

Van stood there frozen, his mind rebeling at the thought that Hitomi hadn't survived. "No, no, NO! Hitomi wake up please." he pleaded with her lifeless body just as he had months ago in Freid. Unfortunately, this time his pleas had no effect. All that happened was that Vanessa cried harder in response to the sadness, and doing the only thing she could, let her wings come out.

The change in weight in his arms was enough to bring Van back to reality, and looking at the child in his arms he vowed to make Hitomi proud and raise her right. He would protect her, this last gift that Hitomi had given him. He awkwardly held the child to his chest and began trying to soothe her.

The doctor and midwife left the room to allow the King his privacy. Merle entered as they left, her face streaked with tears as she headed to her friend. She glanced sadly at Hitomi's body, and shifted the blankets to protect her dignity. Then she stood with Van and grieved over what they had lost.

---------------------------------------------

The people of Fanelia were concerned for their King. It had been three days since that strange pillar of light that had made their King fly off in a hurry. And when he returned he had headed straight into the castle calling for a doctor and later a midwife. He had not been seen since, and none of the workers in the castle were talking. There were many rumors floating around the city but nobody knew anything. And now there is finally word from the castle. The King has an announcement to make. They all hurried to the central courtyard, eager to hear news of what had happened.

Van Slanzar de Fanel, King of Fanelia, stood in the center of the stage. He was dressed formally, and had an air of sadness around him. Once everyone had gathered he began to speak. "I'm sure all of you have heard by now about that pillar of light and have heard rumors about what happened. Many of you may have recognized that pillar of light from when Hitomi Kanzaki, the girl from the Mystic Moon first arrived here and when she returned to her home. You have all probably heard the stories of Hitomi, of how she helped save our world and the debt that we owe her." The King paused to gather himself before continuing.

"The pillar of light the other day was Hitomi returning to our land. However, she was very sick and subsequently passed away." Van again paused to gather himself. The Fanelians could see how this had affected their King, and felt sadness as well. They remembered the girl and what she had done for Fanelia and all of Gaea. "However, before she passed away she gave us one last gift, though it cost her her life." Here Van nodded to Merle, the cat-girl who was never very far from their lord. She approached holding a small bundle which she handed to the King.

The Fanelians were confused, what gift was the King talking about, and why would it cost the girl from the Mystic Moon her life.

Van gently took the bundle from Merle, and faced the crowd again. "I present to you Vanessa Hitomi de Fanel, crown princess of Fanelia" he said and turned the bundle they could now see was a baby to the crowd.

Murmurs began to pass through the crowd as they gazed on the King and new princess. Finally they began to speak. "Long live King Van" "Long live Princess Vanessa" "Thanks be to the Lady Hitomi for this final gift, an heir to the throne." "Thanks to Lady Hitomi"

The crowd continued to praise Hitomi's name for her sacrifice, though there was still some sadness at her death. Van raised his head to the Mystic Moon, the world that she had come from, and offered his own thanks and prayers that she was now at peace. Her legacy would live on in their daughter, he would make sure of it.

The end.


End file.
